Waterkefir is a beverage beloved for its effervescent taste and impressive health benefits. I make water kefir at home with just a few ingredients and will explain in a few simple steps how you can make it yourself.
What is water kefir?
Water kefir is a fermented, carbonated drink made using water kefir grains. Where regular kefir is made from milk, water kefir is made by combining sugar water with water kefir grains – a kind of granular culture of bacteria and yeast. This makes water kefir ideal for anyone following a dairy-free or vegan diet. One of the main benefits of water kefir is the presence of probiotics. Probiotics are bacteria in your gut that play a role in almost every aspect of your health, from boosting the immune system to cancer prevention. Yogurt may be the best known source of probiotics in the modern diet, but kefir is actually considered a better source because it contains a diverse array of bacteria and yeast.
Thanks to its high concentration of beneficial bacteria, adding water kefir to your daily diet can give your immune system a big boost.
Research shows that certain strains of probiotics can help reduce the risk of intestinal infections, prevent urinary tract infections in women, and help suppress inflammatory responses caused by problems like asthma.
Making water kefir is easy to do at home
Water kefir is incredibly flavorful and the taste can vary based on many factors, but is often described as slightly sweet with a bit of anacidic aftertaste.
To make water kefir yourself, stir1 liter of water with 60 grams of sugar and 2 spoons of activated water kefir grains in a jar. You can add dried fruits such as figs or apricots. Place the jar covered with a cloth in a warm room at a temperature of 20-24°C and let it ferment for 48 hours. Filter the contents with a colander to remove the fruit and the kefir grains (you use the grains for a new batch). Keep it in a glass bottle for another 2 days to carbonize and then place it in the fridge to stop fermentation. Actually, it is mostly a good way to turn your regular homemade lemonade into homemade sparkling lemonade. DIY champagnes contain about half a percent alcohol. Party time!